Boiling water dumped on 11-year-old girl’s face during sleepover

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NEW YORK -- Police say a 12-year-old girl poured boiling water on an 11-year-old girl during a sleepover leaving her with severe burns, according to WPIX.

According to police, Jamoneisha Merritt was at a friend's home for a sleepover when the 12-year-old girl boiled water and poured it on Merritt while she slept on a couch. She suffered second-degree burns to her face, shoulders, neck, and chest.

Merritt was taken to Harlem Hospital in serious but stable condition.

According to WPIX, the Merritt family is devastated. They said her burns are so bad, they are life-changing and doctors and family members don't want the child to see herself yet.

The 12-year-old has been charged with assault.

The "hot water challenge" has been proliferating online, apparently pushing people to boil water and toss the scalding liquid on unsuspecting victims. Last week, an 8-year-old girl in Florida died from her injuries five months after she drank boiling water through a straw on a dare.